Idyll Arbor Activity Assessment

(IAA)

Author(s) of assessment: Joan Burlingame, ABDA, HTR

Natalie Chiang, Jackie Manjarrez, Jesvin Selda, Julie Vargas

History of Assessment
● History of the development of the Assessment: Testing for standardized assessments
○ Initial validity was tested by comparing the assessment questions to the required assessment content
and by submitting the assessment to a peer review process.
○ It was submitted to, reviewed and received feedback by individuals who were and held CTRS
certifications, and five Activity Directors who were not CTRS.
○ The next step was to submit the assessment to three individuals who had been CMS surveyors and their
comments were then integrated into the assessment.
○ Over the next six months the form was used in four long term care facilities, three were for clients with
medical diagnosis, one for clients with mental disorder diagnosis. Final revisions were made to the
assessment.
○ After six months of use 15% of the IA3 formas competed in the four facilities were reviewed to note
problems with administering the assessment A log had also been kept of the questions concerning the
administration of the assessment.
○ This information was reviewed, trends were noted, and the IA3 assessment Assessment Manual was
written.
Primary Purpose of Assessment
● To obtain enough information about a client, in a reasonable amount of time
● To be able to develop a treatment plan
● To meet accrediting agencies requirements for assessment of, leisure, social, and
recreational abilities, interests, life experiences, capabilities, barriers, needs and
deficiencies

The assessment can be used to asses five sections such as personal and medical history,
leisure interests, leisure history, individual performance/ social strengths, and maladaptive
behaviors.
Primary Population for Whom the Assessment is
Used:
● The assessment is best suited for
○ Clients living in a nursing home/long-term care facility
■ The components of the assessment allow it to meet physical & psychiatric
long-term care assessment needs
○ Geriatric populations
○ Can also be used with rehab patients
How to Administer the Assessment
● Give assessment no more than 14 days after admission
○ At least once a year // within 14 days of a major change in health/ability
● Reviewing Assessment
○ 7-10 days before resident’s care conference
● Changes
○ If no changes are needed, write “(date)-NC-(initials)” in the top right section of
the page
○ If minor changes were needed:
■ Yellow out information that needs to be changed
● Write the date next to the yellowed out information
● Write in updated info -- date entry
● If minor changes needed, re-give the assessment
How to Administer the Assessment Cont.
● Timeframe for assessment
○ 1st Assessment: 40-60 minutes
○ 2nd & 3rd Assessments: 15-30 minutes each (depending on the depth of chart
review)
● Reality Orientation Assessment
■ Additionally, the resident will be given a reality orientation assessment
How to Analyze/Score the Assessment
● The first page of the assessment is to help gather the information necessary for the activity staff
to safely and meaningfully interact with the resident/client
○ For each section on the first page one can make comments about the changes from one
assessment to the next. One has to remember to put in all the date entries and one can
yellow out any comments that no longer apply.
○ The activity director can use different color ink for each assessment. If different color inks
are used, one has to indicate on the sheet which color is used for the different assessments.

● One can measure and score the

functional skills of a client by
circling or crossing out the client’s
physical disabilities.
How to Analyze/Score the Assessment Cont.
● The second page of the IAAA is to help determine
the resident’s leisure interests and leisure/social
patterns.
○ The activity director finds out what the
client used to like and he or she still likes
■ The activity director uses each item
in the leisure interests section to fill
out information on the assessment.
And uses the sections on the second
page to provide the information on
the resident’s past history.
How to Analyze/Score the Assessment Cont.
● The third page is divided into two sections
○ individual performance and social strengths
■ Is used to rate the resident’s ability in six areas
○ maladaptive behaviors
■ Purpose is to list ten common maladaptive behaviors
that may be found when working with physically or
cognitively impaired clients
■ The way this is scored is to place a number between
zero and three. Sero being that their behavior is seldom
and never a problem, one being behavior occurs a few
times a week during activity, two being behavior
occurs frequently during activities, and three is
behavior is severe to significantly limit participation
● Both sections are best filled out after the activity
director has observed the client in at least four
activities
Where to Find Information on the Assessment

https://www.idyllarbor.com/agora.cgi?p_id=A124&xm=on

● The Idyll Arbor Activity Assessment is available here

○ There are other assessments available as well